U.S. COMMUNITIES

(A) As used in this section, “political subdivision” has the same meaning as in section 2744.01 of the Revised Code and includes a county hospital as defined in section 339.01 of the Revised Code.

(B) A political subdivision may do any of the following:

(1) Permit one or more other political subdivisions to participate in contracts into which it has entered for the acquisition of equipment, materials, supplies, or services, and may charge such participating political subdivisions a reasonable fee to cover any additional costs incurred as a result of their participation;

(2) Participate in a joint purchasing program operated by or through a national or state association of political subdivisions in which the purchasing political subdivision is eligible for membership.

(3) Participate in contract offerings from the federal government that are available to a political subdivision including, but not limited to, contract offerings from the general services administration.

(C) Acquisition by a political subdivision of equipment, material, supplies, or services, through participation in a contract of another political subdivision or participation in an association program under division (B)(1) or (2) of this section, is exempt from any competitive selection requirements otherwise required by law, if the contract in which it is participating was awarded pursuant to a publicly solicited request for a proposal or a competitive selection procedure of another political subdivision within this state or in another state. Acquisition by a political subdivision of equipment, materials, supplies, or services pursuant to division (B)(3) of this section is exempt from any competitive selection requirements otherwise required by law. No political subdivision shall acquire equipment, materials, supplies, or services by participating in a contract under this section if it has received bids for such acquisition, unless its participation enables it to make the acquisition upon the same terms, conditions, and specifications at a lower price.

(D) A political subdivision that is eligible to participate in a joint purchasing program operated by or through a national or state association of political subdivisions in which the purchasing political subdivision is eligible for membership may purchase supplies or services from another party, including another political subdivision, instead of through participation in contracts authorized by division (B)(2) of this section if the political subdivision can purchase those supplies or services from the other party upon equivalent terms, conditions, and specifications but at a lower price than it can through those contracts. Purchases that a political subdivision makes under this division are exempt from any competitive selection procedures otherwise required by law. A political subdivision that makes any purchase under this division shall maintain sufficient information regarding the purchase to verify that it satisfied the conditions for making a purchase under this division. Nothing in this division restricts any action taken by a political subdivision as authorized by division (B)(1) of this section.

( (E) The authorization granted to a municipal corporation under this section shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, the powers and authority granted by state law, the Ohio Constitution, and the provisions of a municipal charter, ordinance, or resolution.